A vital member of the San Francisco Bay area jazz and creative music scene, trumpeter
Erik Jekabson has led a number of eclectic ensembles, from his
Electric Squeezebox Orchestra big band to his orchestral String-tet to many various small groups. He brings all of this experience to bear on 2020's
One Note at a Time as he leads his forward-thinking sextet through a number of harmonically sophisticated originals that draw upon his love of driving post-bop, '70s fusion, and Latin traditions. It's a combination of sounds he's explored previously with this group, including on 2011's
Live at the Hillside Club, 2017's
Erik Jekabson Quintet, and 2018's
Erik Jekabson Sextet. Joining him here are longtime associates saxophonist Dave Ellis, guitarist Dave MacNab, bassist
John Wiitala, drummer David Flores, and percussionist
John Santos. The Latin jazz opening track "Days of Haze" is angular and funky, bringing to mind
Rosewood-era
Woody Shaw as
Jekabson and Ellis chase each other through the acidic maze of MacNab's electric guitar lines. Conversely, "Dusk" is a more contemporary-sounding number that
Jekabson and his band imbue with a warm, West Coast languor. He splits the difference on "Brother Todd," a funky, slow-burn jam that evokes the chilled-out swagger of early-'70s CTI albums. Elsewhere, he draws upon his String-tet work with the theatrical title track, which finds violinists
Mads Tolling and
Alisa Rose framing a spoken-word poem written and performed by Avotcja. He also continues to combine disparate global and stylistic traditions, marrying the kinetic energy of Afro-pop and Latin rhythms on "Full House" and combining Latin grooves with
Brecker Brothers-esque fusion on "Shaker Funk." As with much of
Jekabson's work,
One Note at a Time is an engaging album that further exemplifies his love for the vibrant and culturally diverse sounds of the San Francisco Bay Area. ~ Matt Collar